Russell Smith/Special to the Standard-Times
Russell Smith climbed a ladder to get within eight feet of this squirrel.

Russell Smith waits inside a pop-up blind. To avoid being seen, photographers shouldn't sit close to the windows. Russell Smith is exposed in this photo because a flash was used to show him inside the portable compartment.
Areta Robinson/Special to the Standard-Times

Russell Smith/Special to the Standard-Times
Russell Smith took several photos of doves that were drinking or eating his neighbor's feed.

Russell Smith/Special to the Standard-Times
A blue jay showed curiosity about a pop-up blind in Areta Robinson's San Angelo backyard.

It was just after daylight, a few weeks ago, when I noticed something moving beside my neighbor's air-conditioner unit. I grabbed my camera and was soon face to face with a possum that looked like it had just been on the losing end of an altercation.

I snapped a photo and watched the fat critter disappear around the front side of the house.

I had seen possums and raccoons in our neighborhood at night but never in the daytime. I'd seen deer in front yards, especially when things get as dry as they are now. But seeing the possum made me think of all the little things we see on a daily basis, things I get a kick out of watching, especially those that hang around my neighbor's yard.

Areta Robinson has a special place in her heart for any kind of wildlife. She keeps water in a birdbath, sweet mix in a hummingbird jar, cracked corn in one of several bird feeders, peanuts in a cup along the fence and kernel-filled corncobs in several places across her yard.

Her food servers have allowed us to see many different types of wildlife.

Millie

Millie was the name Areta gave to a mockingbird that lived in a large bush in her yard. The bird would stick its head out of an opening or sit up on top of the bush nearly every time I drove into my driveway. Finally it gave me that one chance to photograph it from just a short distance away. Click and it was done.

Occasionally things do happen in nature. One morning I noticed that Millie was not there. After some investigation I found feathers near her favorite hiding place.

Today there is another mockingbird living in the large bush. It shows itself, just as Millie did, from an opening on the north side of the bush, singing to let me know it is there. Areta has named this bird Molly.

Visiting Our Friends

The birds and squirrels normally leave when I walk into my friend's backyard. So recently I set up a camouflaged pop-up blind near her driveway. I set several cloth-covered folding stools around two chairs inside the darkened area. (The stools hold cameras while the chairs hold me, refreshment and/or possibly a guest.)

Two opened windows allowed me to see the birdbath, fence and several feeders. I wore dark clothes to further conceal my presence as I climbed inside the compartment just after daylight the next day. Nearly immediately things started to happen.

Birds started chirping first. Doves, blue jays and others (that I don't know the names of) showed up first. Then I heard a scraping sound just outside one of the windows. I peered up and saw a squirrel removing and eating yellow kernels off one of the corncobs. The little critter was only eight feet away.

I had hoped this might happen. I'd previously attached a point-and-shoot digital camera to a tripod and aimed it right at the feeder the squirrel was eating from. It was still early so I turned on the flash. Click. The image looked good. The bushy-tailed female just kept on eating. I zoomed in a little and took another shot. It looked better.

The squirrel let me move around some and shoot a few more shots with my digital camera and bigger lens.

But as soon as the rays of the sun caught my sleeve, it was gone — up the tree, onto my neighbor's roof and then to another feeder 20 yards away.

I used several cameras over the next few hours to capture other images of wildlife in my neighbor's backyard.

An underexposed shot caught water going everywhere as a black bird played in the birdbath. The squirrel ran down the fence and stopped just long enough for me to push the shutter button. I took several photos of doves that were getting a drink or eating some of my neighbor's feed.

Then I heard a tapping noise, down low, on the tree just outside the blind.

I stood slowly and caught sight of a blue jay moving around the bark near the ground.

The little thing seemed to be curious about the new structure in the backyard. I took several shots of the bird in different positions.

It was fun getting close to the wildlife. As I sat there, I was reminded of the day I had an experience in my own yard.

My Yard

I heard the chatter as soon as I walked out the front door. The squirrel was about eight feet up in a live oak tree. It seemed to be barking — at me. I wondered how long it would keep it up and hurried back inside to get a ladder.

I placed the ladder about 10 feet away, then climbed it with digital camera in hand. Wouldn't you know it, the battery was dead. I went back inside and retrieved a rechargeable model, replaced it and took several photos before my new friend decided to disappear.

Many different types of wildlife are all around us. Just take an early-morning ride down Fisherman's Road at Lake Nasworthy, drive through San Angelo State Park or just look out your back door.

You might be surprised at what you see. Keep a camera with you — and you just might capture a lasting memory nnnFor those who want the whole package in one sitting, you might consider the Hummer House at 21301 Toe Nail Trail in Christoval, south of San Angelo.

Renowned for its hummingbirds, you may actually find many different species of birds and wildlife there. If you want to spend the night or a few days, its bed-and-breakfast cottages might be just the ticket.